Against the Grain

Volume 20 | Issue 3 Article 33

June 2008 Innovations Affecting Us -- What's Greasemonkey, and Do I Want it in the Library? Kristen DeVoe College of Charleston, [email protected]

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Recommended Citation DeVoe, Kristen (2008) "Innovations Affecting Us -- What's Greasemonkey, and Do I Want it in the Library?," Against the Grain: Vol. 20: Iss. 3, Article 33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7771/2380-176X.2425

This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. Innovations Affecting Us — What’s Greasemonkey, and Do I Want it in the Library? Column Editor: Kristen DeVoe (Electronic Resources Librarian, College of Charleston)

The W3School’s site on Web browser sta- us/collab/GreaseMonkeyUserScripts) that were put off by the use of old Web technolo- tistics indicates that, while Internet Explorer contains hundreds of user scripts that people gies to display the LOC photos. In response is still the most commonly used browser (across have written to scratch their own personal to such laments, one programmer developed a 3 versions), is quickly becoming a itches. Once you write your own user script, Greasemonkey user script specifically to fix popular choice for Internet users (http://www. you can add it to the repository if you think oth- the problems with the page. The script, called w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp). ers might find it useful. Or you can keep it to americanmemoryfixer.user.js, does the fol- Firefox is a highly customizable browser with yourself; content in the knowledge that you’ve lowing for the photo gallery : the addition of plug-ins and ads-ons (https://ad- made your own browsing experience is a little • Changes the colour scheme to black-on- dons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/) to personalize better. There is also a Greasemonkey mailing white, and the typeface to Verdana. the Web browsing experience. One way that list (http://greasemonkey.mozdev.org/list.html), • Removes all table borders. Firefox can be customized to integrate with where users can ask questions, announce user • Adds headings to some pages, and fixes library systems and services is through the use scripts, and discuss ideas for new features. various title tags. of Greasemonkey (https://addons.mozilla. Libraries have been taking advantage of • Sets the default gallery view to be a set of org/en-US/firefox/addon/748) scripts. In this Greasemonkey user script capabilities for thumbnails, rather than a list of names. issue’s “Innovations Affecting Us” column, quite some time in an attempt to reach the pa- I will explain what a Greasemonkey script is • Displays a large image (as opposed to a trons in places other than the library. There are thumbnail) when you view a photograph. and demonstrate various ways that libraries Greasemonkey user scripts that integrate li- can use these scripts, which are Firefox exten- brary holdings information with Websites such Email a Librarian sions, to promote library systems, services, as Amazon.com and Google Book Search, One library used a Greasemonkey user and materials. there are also scripts that are meant to improve script to handle the “not found” results of a In simple terms, Greasemonkey is a the usability of pages that library patrons may catalog search. The script was created in an Firefox extension that allows Web users to wish to use. What follows is a brief description attempt to prevent patrons from giving up the install small scripts that make “on-the-fly” of some user scripts that different libraries have search when they reached a “dead end.” The changes to Web pages that they visit. Grease- developed for Greasemonkey. Greasemonkey script (http://www.chelms- monkey can be used to